Joseph George, a longtime advocate and attorney for victims of sexual abuse in California, has died at the age of 68 due to complications of a stroke. He leaves behind a law firm focused on representing those who have been taken advantage of, and a legacy of improvements to sexual abuse law and advocacy for victims, as reported by the Sacramento Bee.

Joseph George Fought for Sacramento Victims

For more than thirty years, Joseph George represented victims of sexual abuse in the Sacramento area despite the fact that he was qualified to work in the much more profitable area of corporate law. Joe George, as he is affectionately known, reportedly didn’t start his life as a lawyer. He held a doctorate in psychology and served at the Travis Air Force Base in his early life. However, George decided to go back to school to get a law degree. He reportedly found his passion for representing those who could not defend themselves against those with power over them.

Those who were represented by Joseph George got more than just legal representation. Joe George’s history in psychology made him particularly empathetic, and that empathy allowed him to fight fiercely in court. However, George’s former clients aren’t the only ones whose lives were touched by his advocacy. His efforts to assist victims and bring abusers to justice has had a massive impact on the way California finds and holds abusers accountable, according to the Bee.

“He was a force of nature,” Jennifer Roach, a victim of abuse at the hands of her youth pastor as a child, told the Sacramento Bee. “In court, he could be cranky and cantankerous except when he talked to his victim clients. Then he would be gentle and caring. He would never give an inch in court and then he would have the ability to listen for as long as that victim needed.”

The Opponents of Joseph George

Raised as a Roman Catholic in Philadelphia, Joseph George knew from a young age the respect communities hold for their priests. While his son told the Sacramento Bee that nothing in his father’s past had driven him to this type of law, he saw the insidious power dynamic that was putting vulnerable people in danger.

KCRA reports that, during his time, Joseph George kept a list of those he had faced in court. The list holds some familiar names for those with experience in sex abuse law: multiple Catholic Dioceses, the Boy Scouts of America, school district, therapists, and other officials who helped cover up the abusive actions of others, something Joe George felt particularly strongly about.

Joe George felt that the cover-up of the abuse re-victimized the victims he was fighting to represent. Still, while Joseph George recognized the potential for abuse created by entities like the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts, he also never lost sight of the fact that many of the individuals working for those entities continued to do admirable work.

George was interviewed by the Sacramento Bee in 2005 and gave an insight into his work: “I have a special place in my heart for the faith and the priests I interacted with as a kid growing up in Philadelphia. The overwhelming majority do tremendous work… But I’m very disillusioned with the church as an institution. They should have done something about this a long time ago, and didn’t.”

The Legacy of Joseph George for All Sex Abuse Victims

Victims advocates in California hold great respect for the efforts Joseph George made to help sex abuse victims seek justice. In 1986, long before sexual abuse and the pain and suffering it causes was being widely spoken about, Joseph George was committed to going after abusers and the organizations which enabled them.

Joseph George’s legacy has changed the way law enforcement, attorneys, and advocates fight abuse and seek information and documentation regarding abusers. His efforts also paved the way for the extension of the statute of limitations passed in 2019 in California.

“One of the best lessons I’ve learned from Joe’s life is to get as much education and standing as you can and use it to lift up people who are vulnerable,” Jennifer Roach, a former client of George and victim of childhood sexual abuse by a Catholic priest, told the Sacramento Bee. “That’s the most important lesson of his life.”

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.